House Democrats are proposing an additional $30 billion in federal funds for lead service line replacement efforts nationwide, a figure that would be in addition to $15 billion for lead service line replacements that was included in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) approved by the Senate in August. According to theRead More

A recent report from the Environmental Policy Innovation Center (EPIC), a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, says the consolidation of water systems in the United States is happening at an extremely slow pace. While stronger state policies on consolidation are already coming on line, the EPA should prioritize a new policy to incentivizeRead More

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has received 50 letters of interest in response to the agency’s 2021 Notices of Funding Availability. Requests totaling $8.2 billion exceed the agency’s $6.5 billion in available financing and highlight widespread needs for water infrastructure upgrades to benefit communities across the country. “Investing in water infrastructureRead More

Last week, the House of Representatives approved legislation that would require the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish national drinking water standards for regulating harmful forever chemicals, known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), that are linked to kidney, liver and other health problems. By designating the chemical asRead More

The Senate voted on Wednesday to confirm Radhika Fox as the new Assistant Administrator for Water at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Her nomination was confirmed by a vote of 55-43. Fox served as CEO of the nonprofit US Water Alliance since 2015 until she was nominated by PresidentRead More

Radhika Fox is one step closer to officially taking the reins of EPA’s Office of Water as the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee voted last week to advance her nomination to the Senate floor. Speaking during a committee business meeting, EPW Chairman Tom Carper (D-Del.) described Fox and severalRead More

Last week at an address to water associations, utilities and their workers as part of Water Week, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael S. Regan announced the 2021 notice of funding availability under the agency’s Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program and state infrastructure financing authority WIFIARead More

The U.S. EPA’s Water Infrastructure Financing and Innovative Act (WIFIA) loan program delivers a lot of financial value to qualified water infrastructure projects. Could some of that value be used beyond the project itself for innovative initiatives that address local water-related issues — water equity and affordability, climate and environmentalRead More

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael S. Regan has announced a $156 million Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loan to the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DC Water). The loan will help finance water infrastructure improvements throughout the city, including new water mains to improveRead More

By John Ryan In its 2020 annual report, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loan program describes itself as a “government bank with unique flexibilities.” Can those flexibilities be useful for Clean and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (SRFs) considering leverage to expand theirRead More